Obesity. Violence. Irrational Fear. All of these are major issues with Americans, and they all have one root cause. In millions of homes across the country, the casual desire for entertainment has developed into a full on addiction. The molding and conforming of Americans to the ideas expressed on television as a serous issue for our society to overcome.
Our society values uniqueness and originality, however the widespread use of the television is homogenizing Americans at a rapid rate. Technology allows the same shows to be broadcast across the country, coast to coast, and throughout the country people are watching the same exact thing. In every home, people absorb the messages and biases of the show they are watching. Corbett Trubey pointed out that television has become "a 24-hour ad-plastered, brainwashing, individuality bleaching, stereotyping, couch-potato product." When every person receives the same information with the same messages expressed, we begin to lose the diversity that makes America the great country it is.
This repetitive message broadcast throughout the United States is not even a beneficial one, but rather a defiance of American morals. To create exciting and interesting programs, networks enjoy pushing the limits. A perfect example of this trend is the popular TV show Gossip Girl. In 2008, the show came under intense criticism for its provocative show that featured teens consuming alcohol and engaging in sexual relations. The show used this criticism to drive it's advertising by putting quotes from the Parents Television Council on advertisements. Lines such as "Mind-Blowingly Inappropriate" became positives for the show and ultimately drove their ratings up. This sent a large message to the television industry: making shows inappropriate does more good than harm.
The messages sent by these shows often have a large impact on how we handle situations in our own life. Steven Johnson argues that the complicated plots of television acts as a brain exercise and forces us to think more. However, shows will often force us to to think irrationally based on the dramatized events on television. Amid the constant plot twists on the show "24", there is a constant theme of terrorists on that have reached domestic soil, ready to blow up innocent Americans. The reality is that thousands government officials work night and day to keep America save, and actual incidents are rare. Shows like this create a paranoia in the minds of citizens as well as strong feelings of distrust towards Muslims.
All these factors of Television lead to a population addicted to television. Where children would once play outside after school, they now sit down and zone out for hours while they eat. Television creates unhealthy habits that Americans are suffering from. Obesity results from the long term viewing habits in front of TV, and the unhealthy food advertisements worsen the habits. While senators argue about health care, our biggest health problem comes from at home.
If Americans wish to continue as the most intelligent country in the world, we need to remove ourselves from TV. Healthier lifestyles will lead to healthier lives.[1][2]
Our society values uniqueness and originality, however the widespread use of the television is homogenizing Americans at a rapid rate. Technology allows the same shows to be broadcast across the country, coast to coast, and throughout the country people are watching the same exact thing. In every home, people absorb the messages and biases of the show they are watching. Corbett Trubey pointed out that television has become "a 24-hour ad-plastered, brainwashing, individuality bleaching, stereotyping, couch-potato product." When every person receives the same information with the same messages expressed, we begin to lose the diversity that makes America the great country it is.
This repetitive message broadcast throughout the United States is not even a beneficial one, but rather a defiance of American morals. To create exciting and interesting programs, networks enjoy pushing the limits. A perfect example of this trend is the popular TV show Gossip Girl. In 2008, the show came under intense criticism for its provocative show that featured teens consuming alcohol and engaging in sexual relations. The show used this criticism to drive it's advertising by putting quotes from the Parents Television Council on advertisements. Lines such as "Mind-Blowingly Inappropriate" became positives for the show and ultimately drove their ratings up. This sent a large message to the television industry: making shows inappropriate does more good than harm.
The messages sent by these shows often have a large impact on how we handle situations in our own life. Steven Johnson argues that the complicated plots of television acts as a brain exercise and forces us to think more. However, shows will often force us to to think irrationally based on the dramatized events on television. Amid the constant plot twists on the show "24", there is a constant theme of terrorists on that have reached domestic soil, ready to blow up innocent Americans. The reality is that thousands government officials work night and day to keep America save, and actual incidents are rare. Shows like this create a paranoia in the minds of citizens as well as strong feelings of distrust towards Muslims.
All these factors of Television lead to a population addicted to television. Where children would once play outside after school, they now sit down and zone out for hours while they eat. Television creates unhealthy habits that Americans are suffering from. Obesity results from the long term viewing habits in front of TV, and the unhealthy food advertisements worsen the habits. While senators argue about health care, our biggest health problem comes from at home.
If Americans wish to continue as the most intelligent country in the world, we need to remove ourselves from TV. Healthier lifestyles will lead to healthier lives.[1][2]
References
- Catlin, Roger . "Bad Reviews Make Good Ads for 'Gossip Girl'". The Hartford Courant. 3/7/2010
http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2008/08/bad-reviews-make-good-ads-for.html - Johnson, Steven. "Watching TV Makes You Smarter". New York Times 2005.
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